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Hundreds of UK holidaymakers have recently warned about passport renewal delays.
Brits hoping to update their identification document, vital for international travel, should expect wait times of up to 10 weeks, and get theirs ordered long before it’s needed.
And on social media, a number of would-be travellers have said their passports haven’t arrived in that time frame at all – leaving them unable to go on planned trips abroad.
But how are you supposed to know when your passport needs renewing? And in order to travel, how long should your passport be valid for?
Here’s what you should know.
How to check your passport expiration date
It’s quite simple to check your passport’s expiration date.
The issue date and expiration date are both listed on the page which has your passport photo and name on them.
Adult passports usually last 10 years, while it’s key to remember that children’s only last five.
Once you’ve clocked the date, you’ll need to visit the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office website, to check their foreign travel advice for your destination of choice.
Click on the country you’d like to visit, and under the ‘entry requirements’ section, you can see exactly how long you need to have left on your passport in order to fly there.
How many months do you need on your existing passport to travel?
If you feel like balking at a possible 10-week wait time you might be wondering if you can get away with travelling on your existing passport.
Firstly, if your passport is past its expiry date, then obviously you can’t travel on it at all.
Many countries will expect British passports to be valid only for the duration of your stay, including Australia and the United States.
Others will expect a bit more, such as South Africa and New Zealand, which require 30 days and one month past the expiration date respectively.
People on British passports hoping to visit European Union countries (except Ireland) or Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland or Vatican City have rules to follow.
Their passport must be:
- At least 10 days old
- Valid for three months after the planned end date of your trip.
E.g. If you’re planning to visit Spain, and intend to leave on June 6 2022, your passport will need to be valid until at least September 6 2022.
Other countries beyond Europe may have similar rules in place for Brits, so it’s important to check the FCO’s exact travel advice for your desired destination before you book.
Countries such as China, Egypt, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey will expect six months left on your passport (likely from the day you arrive) – with India travel requiring at least 180 days of validity, according to the Post Office.
Don’t drop any cash on a holiday until you’ve checked everyone’s passports are all good to go.
And these aren’t the only passport, visa or entry requirements for any of the countries listed above. Make sure you know exactly what documents you’ll need before you travel.
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